Church considers beatifying former chief exorcist

Catholic church officials began their probe Friday into the life of Rome's former chief exorcist as they consider whether he should be beatified. For 36 years, Father Candido Amantini was Rome's chief exorcist. Ordained as a priest in 1937, Amantini was born in Bagnolo, Italy in 1914 and died in 1992. For years, Amantini was the only exorcist in Rome, dealing with long queues of the faithful. His biographers say he developed his own rituals in addition to the Roman ritual of exorcism in his work at Rome's Scala Santa, the Church of the Holy Staircase. Beatification is the third of four steps in the Catholic church's canonization process.